Brilliant shout to be fair.
We spent two nights there (we being me and the missus). We managed to get on an amazing tour of Gion with Peter Mackintosh (http://www.kyotosightsandnights.com/walking.html) and saw a lot of temples ourselves. It is an incredible city in terms of culture and...
Almost certainly down to your circumstances and ability to explore.
I spent two years on a project there. I used to get the 7am or so flight from Gatwick on a Monday and the Thursday evening BA flight back. I got the tram to the Financial Services park between the station and the city centre...
This.
My favourites are Brighton, Sydney, Tokyo, Taipei, Barcelona, Rome, Bucharest but I could say very good things about a lot more.
The OP won't be happy but I hated Venice. Found it expensive, smelly and easy to get lost in (which is a bonus if you're going to find something interesting...